Prunus persica cultivar xe2x80x98ICE PRINCESSxe2x80x99.
In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine, peach, plum, apricot, and cherry seedling each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as xe2x80x98ICE PRINCESSxe2x80x99. The present variety was hybridized by me in 1992, grown as a seedling on its own root in my greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). It was developed as a first generation cross using xe2x80x98Diamond Princessxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,066) yellow flesh peach as the selected seed parent and an unnamed white flesh peach as the selected pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The repoduction of the variety included the use of xe2x80x98Nemaguardxe2x80x99 rootstock (unpatented) upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its selected seed parent, xe2x80x98Diamond Princessxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,066) peach, by producing freestone peaches that are globose to oblate in shape, firm in texture, and mostly red in skin color, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that is white instead of yellow in flesh color, that is subacid instead of acid in flavor, that is somewhat larger in size, and that matures about 8 days earlier.
The present variety is most similar to xe2x80x98Coral Princessxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,199) peach by producing peaches that are white with virtually no red bleeding in flesh color, subacid and sweet in flavor, mostly red in skin color, and ripen approximately the first week in July, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by blooming about seven days earlier and by producing fruit that is larger in size and that is freestone instead of clingstone in type, yet has a stone cavity with virtually no surrounding hollow space.